Tag: Dance Master

A huge congratulations are in order for our extremely talented and hardworking Bree Quinton and Jack Skelton who yesterday secured their places in the IDTA’s prestigious national competition, Miss Dance and Dance Master!

At their Orpington heat, Bree & Jack impressed the adjudicator enough that it was a clean Berry Academy of Dance sweep for both Miss Dance and Dance Master. This will be Bree’s third time competing in Miss Dance, where this year she made it to the semi-finals with I Dreamed A Dream. Bree is currently the IDTA’s Modern Jazz Performer of 2016.

15 year old Jack will be making his first appearance at Dance Master next year with his fantastic tap routine as a cheeky porter. Jack recently took the lead part in Ecclesfield School’s production of High School Musical as Troy Bolton, and he also made it to the East Coast Tap Championships semi-finals earlier this year.

We must also congratulate our Rebecca Hanneman for taking runner-up in her heat this weekend, and wish all the best to Becky, Bridie, Alexandra, Charlotte & Eve as we’re sure it’s only a matter of time before they make it through to Miss Dance of Great Britain 2017.

Devon started at Mrs Berry’s when he was 12 when he and Matt came from the Maureen Law School of Dance. During his time with us he was nominated for the IDTA Scholarships many times and won special commendations in 2003/4 for Grade 5 Tap and Theatre Craft. He was also the winner of the Ken Dodd Tap Award.

In 2006, at the age of 16, he came third in Dance Master UK, performing at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. Later that year he went on to study for his National Diploma in Musical Theatre at Laine Theatre Arts College. While there both he and Matt competed in a tap competition held at the college, and Matt, feeling generous, used one of his old routines and choreographed a new one for Devon… he regretted it in the end because Devon ended up beating him with it!

After graduating in 2009 he went on tour to Germany with the musical Hairspray for two years, managing to resist the urge to learn any German while he was there. He performed in Aladdin at the Royal & Derngate in Northampton in 2011.

In 2012 Devon taught classes and workshops in London and performed in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic Games.

Since then he has played a Shark on the national UK tour of West Side Story which began in Liverpool in 2013 and ended in summer 2014. In his spare time he has come back to Sheffield to teach our pupils exciting new routines and give them insight into the life of a professional dancer.

Devon was very excited to be joining the cast of Memphis, a new musical which arrived in London’s West End in October 2014. The starring role is taken by Beverley Knight, and the production won Best New Musical at the What’s On Stage Awards.

Congratulations are in order for two of our many fantastic Berry Babes who have secured places into the Grand Final of the IDTA’s Miss Dance of Great Britain award, held annually in Blackpool. Rebecca Hanneman won her heat in October 2014, and last night, Bree Quinton also danced her way to the final of a very prestigious dance competition.

Another of our Berry Babes, Bridie Thorpe, has also been performing her heart out at heats, taking runner-up only last week, so we think it will only be a matter of time before she makes it the magic trio! Three is Mrs Berry’s lucky number… so no pressure Bridie!

Miss Dance takes place in June at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, and many of the pupils, staff and parents attend every year on a big Berry school coach and enjoy fish and chips in between the fantastic showcase of dancing. In the past we have had many pupils performing at this competition, with Miss Rebecca taking third place, and our former pupils Matt Croke and Devon McKenzie-Smith taking third place in their own Dance Master competitions.